The OTHER Tay Bridge
Disaster, Friday 12th September 1902

The following two articles are
taken from the local, Dundee (Scotland) newspapers as indicated. They are very
similar in content, but differ in some detail. William (Low) Howie referred to
as one of the deceased was the Webmaster's maternal great uncle, born about 1873.

His body was found some time later on the north coast of Fife his death was
statutorily registered in the district of Forgan, Fife, 1902/37. Details from
the certificate:- Cause - Accidental death; Address - 2 City Road, Dundee;
Informant, his father; DAVID HOWIE of 43 Annfield Road, Dundee; WILLIAM died
about 10h.30AM in River Tay about 30 yards west of the sixth girder, south end
of Tay Bridge. The Forgan Registrar was Fred G. Kemp, at Newport, Fife, on 24th
September 1902. There is also a "corrected entry in VOL 1, P82, 22 OCT
1902".

A sad disaster occurred on the TayBridge at Dundee this afternoon resulting in the loss of two lives
and narrow escape of several other workmen. The accident happened about
half­-past ten o'clock, and the first intimation obtained at the Dundee
end of the bridge was about eleven o'clock,when a workman named George Will (Milne)
appeared at the Esplanade Station with one of his hands badly lacerated
and his clothes besmeared with paint. It was at once apparent to the
station agent that an accident had happened, but he was scarcely prepared
for the sad story which Will had to tell. The latter was in a very excited
state, and requested that his wounds, which were severe, should be
dressed. The station agent at once proceeded to render the aid which a
course of ambulance classes fitted him to give, and while the operation
was being performed some particulars of the catastrophe were obtained.

Nine men, including Alex. Falconer, Blackness Road, Dundee; William Howie, City Road, Dundee; and George Will were all engaged painting the
under part of the bridge at the high girder between No. 33 and No. 34
piers, and on the Fife side of the bridge. They were standing on a
platform which rests on rails fixed to the underwork of the girder.
Boisterous weather prevailed, but all of a sudden a strong gust of wind
struck the platform and raised it from it from its position. Howie and
Falconer were immediately thrown into the air, and fell to the water
below, a distance of about 80 feet. One of the men on reaching the water
immediately sank while the other appeared above the surface again and
struggled for a time but ultimately disappeared, and shared the same fate
as that of his fellow workman. Will and the others managed to catch hold
of a part of the iron work of the girder, and escaped certain death,
although in their efforts to save their lives they sustained more or less
serious injuries. The scene was most exciting, and while the fact that two
men had lost their lives cast quite a gloom over the rest of the workers,
there was some consolation to be derived from the escape of the seven
other men. Both Howie and Falconer were married men.

Much excitement prevailed at the city end of the
bridge when news of the accident was received, and there were many anxious
enquiries at the Esplanade Station to obtain particulars of the
catastrophe.

At the time of the accident the steam yacht which
is kept on duty at the bridge was employed towing a barge to the quay on
the west side of Wormit. It was soon brought alongside the bridge, and
steamed about in the locality, but no trace of the bodies could be found.

HOW
THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
- AWFUL
EXPERIENCE.
- DESPERATE
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.

In the course of the forenoon an “Evening
Telegraph” reporter visited Wormit, and from interviews with several of
the workmen and others, gleaned a considerable amount of additional
information regarding the accident. In the first place, to make the story
of the calamity quite clear to our readers, it will be necessary to
explain the method of working, and the character of the apparatus used.Immediately below the permanent way there is another set of rails.
Depending from these are a number of stagings for the use of the workmen,
and by means of wheels on the rails overhead these platforms are moved
from place to place as occasion requires. These cars, if they might be so
described, are of light but strong construction. From each corner rises a
stout steel rod, which is bent in over the rails, and carries a wheel.
Work was proceeding smoothly a few minutes prior to the Accident.

IT WAS A BIT BREEZY

The wind was coming from a north-easterly
direction, but suddenly it veered round to the north-west. With this
change it increased in violence, and came away in heavy squalls. About
twenty minutes past ten workmen on a staging situated about midway across
that portion of the bridge, distinctive from the rest by reason of its
high girders, had completed their work at the place in question, and
preparations were accordingly made for changing their position immediately
to the north. For this purpose two of the squad, which numbered nine, left
the car to slacken the chains by which it was secured. The breeze was now
blowing with great force, and Mr. Thomas Turnbull, the inspector of the
bridge, fearing that the men might be in imminent danger, was on the point
of ordering them in to leave work and remove to safer quarters above. It
may be stated that during the past week or two this course was followed in
consequence of the boisterous weather, and on one occasion work was
suspended for a couple of days. The hooks had been unfastened, and
simultaneously a terrific gust from the north-west struck the platform and
drove it southward at a great pace. Onward it sped along the rails

“AS FAST AS A TRAIN

crossing the Bridge,” as one of the workmen de­scribed
it, for about 150 feet. The men did their utmost to check the runaway
staging, and in their­ extremity they made futile efforts by clutching at
different parts of the ironwork as they flew past. They even went the
length of trying to brake the car by gripping at the rails. It was in
vain, however, and the platform was not brought to a standstill until the
wheels jumped the rails. The effect was disastrous. The car, which is 36
feet in length and 6 feet in breadth, was tilted broadside to the almost
perpendicular, and was only prevented from falling into the river by two
of the wheel brackets and the chains which control the working of the car.
The flat surface of the staging afforded no holding for the men, and two
of their number were precipitated into the water

ABOUT EIGHTY FEET BELOW.

How the others managed to avoid a similar fate is
incomprehensible, and there were some miraculous escapes. One man named
Sheldon was in the act of falling when he was caught by his middle of the
body by a chain, to which he clung until relieved. The
others managed to secure a hold on the bogey, or on the iron work of the
Bridge. Immediately a large number of other workmen were on the scene of
the accident, and with their assistance their five fellow workmen, who
were hanging in this perilous position, were promptly rescued. Attention
was also directed to the river with the view of assisting, if possible,
the two men –Howie and Falconer by name. Howie is supposed to have come
in contact with the masonry of one of the piers, as he never rose to the
surface. Falconer reappeared and it was observed that he was managing to
float himself with the aid of a large block of wood which had fallen from
the scaffolding. Steps were taken at once to apprise those on board the
steam launch which is engaged on bridge service that their services were
required, but unfortunately the vessel was engaged towing a barge some
distance away. With

FEELINGS OF INTENSE ANXIETY,

but utterly unable to go to the assistance the men
watched their comrade being carried up the river by the tide. In passing a
mark buoy some little distance to the west of the Bridge, it is thought
Falconer made an endeavour to catch hold. At all events, he was not
afterwards seen, and it is surmised that in making an effort to catch hold
of the buoy he lost hold of the log and disappeared.

The last mentioned is a brother of Alexander
Falconer, who was drowned. The rescued workmen returned to their homes
immediately after the accident. Deceased were both in the prime of life,
and were both married. Mr. Turnbull stated that in the whole course of his
15 years’ Bridge service he never experienced such a terrible gust as
that of this morning, which was the cause of the accident.

The TayBridge
was yesterday the scene of a serious accident, by which two men –
Alexander Falconer, Blackness Road,
and William Howie, City Road,
both painters – lost their lives, and several others had narrow
escapes from drowning. Along with a number of workmen the unfortunate
men were engaged in painting the under part of the bridge at the high
girders between No. 33 and No. 34 piers on the Fife side of the
structure. The weather was very boisterous at the time and a more than
usually strong gust of wind blew the staging off the rails,
precipitating the two men into the river. For the convenience of workmen
carrying on operations on the under part of the bridge there is a
special apparatus. This consists chiefly of a line of rails underneath
the permanent way from which are hung stagings or platforms, and which
can be run along on wheels from place to place as required. These cars,
if they might be so described, are of light but strong construction.
From each corner rises a stout steel rod, which is bent in over the
rails, and carries the wheel. Work was proceeding smoothly a few minutes
prior to the accident. The wind was coming in from a
north‑easterly direction, but suddenly it veered round to the
north‑west. With this change it increased in violence, and came
away in heavy squalls. About twenty minutes past ten in the forenoon the
workmen on a staging situated about midway across that portion of the
bridge, distinctive from the rest by reason of its high girders, had
completed their work at the place in question, and preparations were
accordingly made for changing their position immediately to the north.
For this purpose two of the squad, which numbered nine, left the car to
slacken the chains by which it was secured. The breeze was now blowing
with great force, and Mr. Thomas Turnbull, the inspector of bridge,
fearing that the men might be in imminent danger, was on point of
ordering them to leave work, and remove to safer quarters above. It may
be stated that during the last week or two this course was followed in
consequence of the boisterous weather, and on one occasion work was
suspended for a couple of days. The hooks had been unfastened, and
simultaneously

A TERRIFIC GUST

from the north-west struck the platform and drove it
southward at a great pace. Onward it sped along the rails “as fast as
any train crossing the bridge,” as one of the workmen de­scribed it,
for almost 50 feet. The men did their utmost to check the progress of
the runaway staging by clutching at different parts of the ironwork as
they flew past. They even went the length of trying to brake the car by
gripping at the rails. It was in vain, however, and the platform was not
brought to a standstill the wheels jumped the rails. The effect was
disastrous. The car, which is 30 feet in length and 6 feet in breadth,
was tilted over, and was only prevented from falling into the river by
two of the wheel brackets and the chains which control the working of
the car. The flat surface of the staging afforded no holding for the
men, and two of their number was precipitated into the water about 80
feet below. How the others managed to avoid a similar fate is
incomprehensible, and there were some miraculous escapes. One man named
Sheldon was in the act of falling when he was caught across the middle
of the body by a chain to which he clung until relieved.The others managed to secure a hold on the bogey, or on the iron
work of the bridge. Immediately a large number of other workmen were on
the scene of the accident, and with their assistance five fellow
workmen, who were hanging in this perilous position, were promptly
rescued. Attention was also directed to the river with the view of
assisting, if possible, the two men. Howie is supposed to have come in
contact with the masonry of one of the piers, as he never rose to the
surface. Falconer reappeared, and it was observed that he was managing
to float himself with the aid of a large block of wood which had fallen
from the scaffolding. Steps were at once taken to apprise those on board
the steam launch which is engaged on bridge service that their services
were required, but unfortunately was at the time towing a barge some
distance away. With feelings of intense anxiety, but utterly unable to
go to the assistance the men watched their comrade being

CARRIED UP THE RIVER BY THE TIDE.

In passing a mark buoy some little distance to the west of
the bridge, it is thought Falconer made an endeavour to catch hold. At
all events, he was not afterwards seen, and it was surmised that in
making an effort to catch hold of buoy he lost hold of the log and
disappeared. The first intimation the catastrophe received at the
Esplanade Station was the arrival of a workman, named George Milne, who
came to the station for the purpose of getting his injuries dressed. His
hands were badly lacerated, and his clothing besmeared with paint. He
was in a very excited state, but while his wounds were being attended to
he told the horrified officials what had happened. He stated that while
on the point of shifting the platform a strong gust of wind struck it
and raised it from its position. Howie and Falconer were immediately
thrown into the air, and fell about 80 feet. Milne and the others
managed to catch hold of a part of the iron work of the girder, and
escaped certain death, although in their efforts to save their lives
they sustained more or less serious injuries. The scene was most
exciting, and while the fact that two men had lost their lives cast
quite a gloom over the rest of the workers, there was some consolation
to be derived from the escape of the seven other men. Both Howie and
Falconer were married men. Much excitement prevailed at the city end of
the bridge when news of the accident was received, and there were many
anxious inquiries at the Esplanade Station to obtain particulars of the
catastrophe. At the time of the accident the steam yacht which is kept
on duty at the bridge was employed towing a barge to the quay on the
west side of Wormit. It was soon brought alongside the bridge, and
steamed about in the locality, but no trace of the bodies could be
found.

(January
2005) A message from Adam Fyfe Anderson in the U.S.A. His
grandfather is mentioned in the article above, worked as a seaman &
bridge painter - viz. Adam Fyfe, born 1864 -
died 1928, at the age of 64yrs.
"The Adam Fyfe mentioned was my maternal grandfather who passed away
in 1928, prior to my birth in March 1931. Apparently after surviving this bridge
accident our grandfather was in poor health for quite a few years
until his death. He is laid to rest, along with his
wife and an infant son, in a Balgay Cemetery family plot. Our recent grandchild,
now of
3½ years, carries the name of Rachel Adam Anderson.
I can recall how my late mother talked proudly of her father. I still
have photographs which were passed to me of Adam Fyfe senior with his family. I am a long time resident in the U.S.A.
but proud of my Dundee heritage and the strong family ties. My twin sister
is alive and well in Bonnie Dundee.
This brief response can be used on your website regarding the Tay Bridge history item,
Thank you. Adam Fyfe Anderson (aged 73 yrs)."

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